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REVIEW: When They Cry: Rei Blu-Ray




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AnimeMaine



Joined: 11 May 2009
Posts: 123
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:14 pm Reply with quote
I enjoyed Die Killing, but I found the other two stories to be a waste of time. However, for people who have enjoyed the franchise, Die Killing is still worth the purchase.
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gwdone



Joined: 01 May 2008
Posts: 272
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:25 pm Reply with quote
I'm glad they released these DVDs. I have waited a long time since season one. If you're going to dive into this story, season one will be a must. Since season one was so shocking I remember executives stating they would never allow any additional seasons to be released in the USA. I'm glad someone slid them in anyway.
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NJ_



Joined: 31 Oct 2009
Posts: 3015
Location: Wallington, NJ
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 12:35 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
the remaining two are When They Cry: Kira (licensed by Sentai but with no release date yet) and When They Cry: Outbreak, which as of this writing remains unlicensed.


They never said they had Kira, just up to Rei. See here (at 41:16) and here.
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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 1:46 pm Reply with quote
Good review, as usual, but i'm going to have to disagree with most of it. I personally enjoyed the Die-Killing arc, even if it was too dialogue heavy, because it explores the psychology of Rika's character in a way that isn't really touched earlier in the series. In fact, i'd argue that this arc has the only one that merits intellectual discussion (not that that's a requirement for a show to be good or enjoyable), and i felt heavily invested in Rika's dilemma.

I'm guessing i'm in the minority on this, but i found the Public embarrassment episode to be the most painful 30 minutes of anime i've ever experienced. I felt extremely uncomfortable with the fanservice jokes aimed at Rika and Satoko, both of whom are younger that 10, and i honestly didn't find any of it to be funny. I enjoyed the last episode a bit more, since I liked how it parodied a couple scary Reina moments from early in the series, but i'll agree that it didn't pace itself well.
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jroa



Joined: 08 Aug 2012
Posts: 537
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 1:57 pm Reply with quote
I'm afraid that Die Killing was actually my favorite segment from this production, so my opinion is almost the opposite of Rebecca's in this respect. It might not necessarily fit in perfectly with the rest of the series, but I felt it did a good job of exploring an alternate universe and questioning whether or not it was worth sacrificing. Quite a compelling watch, in my opinion. The other segments were just a lot of fun fluff, which is entirely okay yet doesn't really have much lasting appeal.
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Lobokendo



Joined: 04 Jan 2016
Posts: 135
Location: Somewhere
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 5:29 pm Reply with quote
I can't wait to read the review for Kira if it happens Anime hyper
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Mr Sinister



Joined: 02 Jan 2006
Posts: 157
Location: NY
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 8:35 pm Reply with quote
The pool episode is a top 5 all time comedy episode. I'm sure there's an inherent bump because I'm so used to seeing them all in such horrible dark situations, but I can't really remember the last time I saw a comedy episode of any anime that I enjoyed as much as this one.
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Cecilthedarkknight_234



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Posts: 3820
Location: Louisville, KY
PostPosted: Sun Aug 07, 2016 10:42 pm Reply with quote
Merxamers wrote:
Good review, as usual, but i'm going to have to disagree with most of it. I personally enjoyed the Die-Killing arc, even if it was too dialogue heavy, because it explores the psychology of Rika's character in a way that isn't really touched earlier in the series. In fact, i'd argue that this arc has the only one that merits intellectual discussion (not that that's a requirement for a show to be good or enjoyable), and i felt heavily invested in Rika's dilemma.

I'm guessing i'm in the minority on this, but i found the Public embarrassment episode to be the most painful 30 minutes of anime i've ever experienced. I felt extremely uncomfortable with the fanservice jokes aimed at Rika and Satoko, both of whom are younger that 10, and i honestly didn't find any of it to be funny. I enjoyed the last episode a bit more, since I liked how it parodied a couple scary Reina moments from early in the series, but i'll agree that it didn't pace itself well.


You're not alone because I genuinely liked the dice killing arc because we get into rika's mindset. Also it might be confusing for some but Hanyuu is ghost or spirit in this arc because it branches off from the ps2 port where spoiler["Hanyuu doesn't dodge the bullet and dies"].
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Mr. Dent



Joined: 06 Jul 2014
Posts: 78
PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:55 am Reply with quote
Cecilthedarkknight_234 wrote:
Also it might be confusing for some but Hanyuu is ghost or spirit in this arc because it branches off from the ps2 port where spoiler["Hanyuu doesn't dodge the bullet and dies"].


Strangely, that can't be the case. The PS2 port's final arc, Miotsukushi, actually gives Hanyuu a different backstory than the one in Die Killing, and features Satoshi waking up and joining the school club again. These differences are likely because the PS2 port wasn't written by Ryukishi, and was released before Dice Killing came out for PC.

So, really... There's no explanation as to why Hanyuu's a spirit again. I guess maybe she got bored of being a school girl?
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Cecilthedarkknight_234



Joined: 02 Apr 2011
Posts: 3820
Location: Louisville, KY
PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 10:05 am Reply with quote
@Mr.dent
Well I stand corrected. Hmm then the reason why hanyuu is spirit again remains a mystery. I wonder could it be her connection to featherine from umineko?


Last edited by Cecilthedarkknight_234 on Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Angel Investor





PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:24 am Reply with quote
Merxamers wrote:
Good review, as usual, but i'm going to have to disagree with most of it. I personally enjoyed the Die-Killing arc, even if it was too dialogue heavy, because it explores the psychology of Rika's character in a way that isn't really touched earlier in the series. In fact, i'd argue that this arc has the only one that merits intellectual discussion (not that that's a requirement for a show to be good or enjoyable), and i felt heavily invested in Rika's dilemma.

I'm guessing i'm in the minority on this, but i found the Public embarrassment episode to be the most painful 30 minutes of anime i've ever experienced. I felt extremely uncomfortable with the fanservice jokes aimed at Rika and Satoko, both of whom are younger that 10, and i honestly didn't find any of it to be funny. I enjoyed the last episode a bit more, since I liked how it parodied a couple scary Reina moments from early in the series, but i'll agree that it didn't pace itself well.


{SPOILERS}
I find it funny that you have managed to watch a show that has graphic murder and death scenes, torture, an abusive uncle, an orphanage where the children are beaten, a messed up syndrome that makes people claw out their throats, a ritual where a young girl's intestines are removed while she's still alive, a doctor who openly wants to marry an underage girl, a dismemberment murder where people agree to hold on to different body parts, a pregnant woman falling down in the stairs and dying with the baby...

and yet after all that, it is the lighthearted OVA that's not meant to be taken seriously that makes you uncomfortable (not to mention the fanservice isn't even risque by most anime standards). I really hope you haven't watched the first episode of Kira...
Also, you should probably never touch the Monogatari series if something like that gets under your skin.
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AilisKnil



Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Posts: 87
PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:05 pm Reply with quote
Rei is still the best Higurashi anime series despite its lackluster content because it's the only one that doesn't completely miss the point of its source material.
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maximilianjenus



Joined: 29 Apr 2013
Posts: 2867
PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2016 4:21 pm Reply with quote
Merxamers wrote:
Rika and Satoko, both of whom are younger that 10,


relax, they are 1X years old so it's perfectly fine.
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Merxamers



Joined: 09 Dec 2013
Posts: 720
PostPosted: Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:35 am Reply with quote
Angel Investor wrote:

and yet after all that, it is the lighthearted OVA that's not meant to be taken seriously that makes you uncomfortable


What made it difficult to watch was the bad comedy. And I reserve the right to be put-off by pedophilic imagery; most of the earlier series elements you mention in your comment are indeed horrifying, but they are SUPPOSED to be horrifying, and we're supposed to find everything in the first Rei episode to be lighthearted and cutesy. Instead, most of it left me feeling very dirty having watched it. I'm not saying that earlier parts of Higurashi weren't difficult to sit through, but bad, sleazy comedy is even harder, in my opinion.
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